Dentist Office Visit

Last week my wife and I decided to stop by a dentist office.  I never look forward to sit on a dentist chair with my mouth open having someone probing my teeth looking for some signs of pain, which tend to indicate there is an issue.  The reason for the visit was that we have not been at a dentist office in more than ten years.  A few weeks ago I noticed that on the top right side of my mouth I was having some discomfort when chewing hard food.  Given that no one is getting any younger and have not visited a dentist is so long we decided to pay a visit to a dentist.

Given that it has been so long since our last dental visit, I checked with one of my sons, which now lives in Indiana who stopped by a dentist not long ago before moving out of town.  My wife made an appointment and last week off we went to the dentist.

The office is in the city of Eagan, Minnesota.  We currently live in Apple Valley but have spent about twenty years in Eagan.  Eagan is a neighboring city of Apple Valley.  The drive took under 15 minutes.

After filling several forms we got to see two dental assistants (one for my wife and one for me).  Given that we have not been to a dentist in so long, they suggested a base x-ray.  Apparently the insurance covers a base x-ray every five (5) years.  Instead of getting a panoramic capture, each of us got 14 separate x-rays.  According to the technicians they work best that a single panoramic view.  Cannot argue because I am not versed in the field.  Not sure how cost compares in getting a single x-ray to getting 14 separate ones.  All we know is that the insurance should cover.

We both received a test that concluded that we are in desperate need for deep cleansing.  I brush my teeth twice a day with a Crest electric toothbrush.  Use mouthwash after brushing.  On average I use dental floss a couple times a week.  Have no bleeding in my gums and my teeth look quite clean.

After spending over an hour with the technician, the dentist came in and took a look at my teeth.  He found many issues and recommended capping four of my teeth.  My wife only needed three caps.

After all was set and done, we sat down with a clerk and she gave us estimates on what was needed.  Deep cleansing with antibiotics and nitrous oxide gas, caps and perhaps fillings, etc, etc, etc.  The estimate was in the thousands of dollars for each.  Mine was a few thousand over my wife’s.  So lets get some appoin6tments and start with the process.  Given that insurance just covers $1,500 per year they would be glad to extend the treatment over to the next year to get that benefit.

We did get new toothbrushes.  This time we got Phillips Sonicare.  After using them for a few days, the results are noticeable, cleaner and whiter teeth.

My wife and I are debating how to approach the plans provided by the dentist.  We do have insurance but the insurance falls short from what is required.  On the other hand, without a set of x-rays it might be hard to get a second opinion.  Perhaps healthcare reform should also include dental and vision.

We are going to request the bill for what was done during or first visit in order to keep costs under control.  Just because we have insurance we cannot get everything done, especially when we have to pay a considerably large amount of out of pocket costs.

More to follow after our next cleaning visit…